Carriage-shifter for type-writers.



PATENTEDYM'AR; 17,1903.

' J. s. PARMENTBR. CARRIAGE SHIFTER FOR- TYPE WRITERS.

AP PLIOATIOK FILED JULY 28. 1902.

THE norms FEI'ERS ca. mom-nun. wAsnmcYouj u. c.

ATENT JAMES SPENCER PARMENTER, OF WOODSTOCK, CANADA.

CARRIAGE-S HIFTER FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,884, dated March 17, 1903.

Application filed July 28,1902- To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES SPENCER PAR- MENTER, manufacturer, of the city of Woodstock, in the county of Oxford, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Oarriage- Shifters for Type-Writers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carriage-shifters for type-writers; and the object of the invention is to provide an improved device for practically dispensing with the operation of the carriage and platen of a type writer machine by hand, and consequently facilitate the rapidity of operation of the machine by leaving the finger-keys only to be operated by the fingers of the hands; and it consists, essentially, of a pneumatic cylinder supported on and secured to the carriage-frame and having an arm extending against the end of the spacing lever or crank, a piston and hollow rod extending into the cylinder, an air -pump suitably supported, preferably near the floor, underneath the type-writer desk, a tubular connection between such pump and the hollow rod extending into the cylinder, and a sliding pedal having an operative connection to the piston of the pump, the parts being operated and arranged and constructed in detail as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of portion of a desk, showing a type-writer in position and my device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the pedal and airpump. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan showing the cylinder and the operative connection thereof to the carriage and platen.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is a type-writer machine which is supported on the desk B in any usual manner.

0 is a platen of the type-writer, which is provided at one end with a face-ratchet c and an operating bell-crank or lever c, coacting therewith and suitably supported on. the frame of the type-writer.

D is a cylinder which is closed at one end and is securely held in the rearwardly-extending frame-bar O of the type-writer.

E is an arm having a circular boss e at the Serial No. 117,371. (No model.)

inside, which fits within the open end of the cylinder and serves to close the same.

F is a piston in which is fitted the hollow piston-rod f, such piston-rod extending through the arm E into a hollow standard f.

G is a tube connecting the standard f to an air-pump H, the cylinder H of which is swung bythe lug it upon the pin 71. of the bracket M, which is secured to the back of the desk near the'floor, as indicated.

I is the piston of the pump, and I the rod thereof.

J is a rectangular pedal-frame which is provided with a bottom j and a cross-bar j, against which the inner ends of the heels of the operator are designed to abut.

J is a crotch secured to ;the inner end of the pedal J and through which the pistonrod extends, the piston-rod being held in position by the nuts 2' and 77..

K represents rollers or rubber-tired small wheels which are journaled on suitable pins k in the sides of the pedal or pedal-frame J.

represents brackets secured to the opposite side of the pedal-frame, andLrepresents brackets between which extend the guide-rod Z. The guide-rod Z extends through holes in the brackets 70.

It is designed in my invention, as has been hereinbefore premised to leave the hands for the operation of'the finger-keys to the greatest extent possible, and in order to effect this purpose I have provided the device which I have herein described and which operates as follows: The operator places his feet in the pedal-frame, and in pressing forwardly forces the air from the air-pump up through the tube G, standardsf, and hollow piston-rod f against the end of the cylinder D, thereby forcing the cylinder slightly forward in its bearings against the tension of the spiral spring 2, located between the arm E and the bearing. This slight forward movement of the cylinder causes the arm E to en a e with the s acin -lever c and thereby turn the platen by means of the faceratchet c the requisite space which may be desired, the mechanism for regulating the space being no feature in my invention. A continued pressure of air now forces the cylinder D, and consequently the carriage and platen O, in the direction indicated by arrow until the platen has reached the proper position for the beginning of a line. The fingerkeys are then operated, so as to print the line of type, and mydevice is operated again by the feet with the same result as before.

It will thus be seen that the operator of the machine may continue writing or operate the fingen-keys practically continuously without the necessity of raising the hands from the finger-keys, and the space may be changed and the carriage shifted back to normal by the device I have hereinbefore described as every line is printed.

It will thus be seen that a device such as I describe will be a great time-saver and facilitate materially the operation of the machine with a minimum amount of inconvenience to the operator.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a type-writer carriage, the combination with the carriage and the air-cylinder extending lengthwise of the carriage and supported on same and having one end closed, of a piston fitting within the cylinder and having a hollow piston-rod and means for forcing air through such piston-rod to the closed end of the cylinder, so as to shift the cylinder and consequently the carriage longitudinally as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a type-writer carriage, the combination with the carriage and the air-cylinder extending lengthwise of the carriage and supported on same and having one end closed, of a piston fitting Within the cylinder and having a hollow piston-rod and means for forcing air through such piston-rod to the closed end of the cylinder, so as to shift the cylinder and consequently the carriage longitudinally, a platen, line-spacing means for the platen and a device connected with the cylinder for operating said line-spacing means as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a type-writer carriage, the combination with the carriage and the air-cylinder extending lengthwise of the carriage and supported on same and having one end closed, of a piston fitting within the cylinder and having a hollow piston-rod and means for forcing air through such piston-rod to the closed end of the cylinder, so as to shift the cylinder and consequently the carriage longitudinally,'the platen, the ratchet on the spindle of the same, the spacing-lever coacting with such ratchet, the arm on the end of the cylinder designed to operate against the spacing-lever upon the movement of the cylinder and carriage being started as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a type-writer carriage, the combination with the carriage and the air-cylinder extending lengthwise of the carriage and supported on same and having one end closed, of a piston fitting within the cylinder and having a hollow piston-rod and means for forcing air through such piston-rod to the closed end of the cylinder, so as to shift the cylinder and consequently the carriage longitudinally, the platen, the ratchet on the spindle of the same, the spacing-lever coacting with such ratchet, the arm on the end of the cylinder designed to operate against the spacing-lever and a spiral spring encircling the cylinder between the arm and the frame of the carriage as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a type-writer-carriage shift, the combination with the carriage and the air-cylinder extending lengthwise of the carriage and supported on same and having one end closed, of a piston fitting within the cylinder and having a hollow stationary piston-rod, an airpump, means for operating such air-pump and a tube connecting the air-pump to the hollow piston-rod as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a type-writer-carriage shift, the combination with the carriage and the air-cylinder extending lengthwise of the carriage and supported on same and having one end closed, of a piston fitting within the cylinder and having a hollow piston-rod, an air-pump provided with the usual rod and piston, a tube connecting the air-pump with the hollow piston-rod of the cylinder on the carriage-frame, a horizontal sliding pedal-frame suitably connected to the piston-rod of the pump and suitable bearing-supports to provide for and limit the longitudinal movement of the pedalframe as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a device of the class described, an airpump provided with a suitable end lug, a braeketsupporting the same, the pedal-frame provided with a crotchet at the inner end and nuts on the piston-rod connected to the crotchet, rollers supporting one side of the pedal-frame and a bar supported in suitable brackets and carrying brackets secured to the opposite side of the pedal-frame to that on which the wheels are located, as and for the purpose specified.

8. In combination with a type-writer carriage, a cylinder fixed thereto and having one end closed, a hollow piston-rod fixed in relation to the movable carriage and its cylinder and a fluid-pressure connection leading to the stationary hollow piston-rod, substantially as described.

9. In a typewriter-carriage shifter, the combination with the carriage and air-cylinder suitably supported, of an air-pump and operating connection between the air-pump and the air-cylinder and a slide means designed to rest on a suitable support and be operated by the feet for operating the airpump as and for the purpose specified.

10. In combination, a typewriter, a carriage, a cylinder supported on the carriage loosely to have movement in relation there to as Well as to move therewith, line-spacing mechanism for the platen and means operated by the movement of the cylinder for effecting the line-spacing substantially as described.

11. In combination, in a type-writer, acarriage, a cylinder supported on the carriage loosely to have movement in relation thereto as well as to move therewith, line-spacing mechanism for the platen and means operated by the movement of the cylinder for effecting the line-spacing, said means including an arm rigidly connected with the cylinder, substantially as described.

12. In combination with a type-Writer carriage and its platen, pneumatic means for 0perating the carriage comprising a piston and cylinder, one of said parts being loosely sup ported on the carriage to have movement in respect thereto and means operated by the said loosely-supported member to effect the line-spacing, substantially as described. 

